As part of DoH’s participation at GITEX 2019, Abdulla bin Mohamed Al Hamed and Mugheer Al Khaili launch the “My Health Coach” App Challenge for Abu Dhabi government employees

The launch took place at DoH's stand as part of the Government of Abu Dhabi pavilion in the presence of H.E. Dr Rawda Saeed Al Saadi – Director General of Smart Solutions & Services Authority, H.E Mohamed Hamad Al Hameli Undersecretary of DoH, H.E Matar Al Nuaimi Director General of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center and Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi Executive Vice President at the Khalifa University of Science Technology.

The 'My Health Coach' app challenge invites government employees to compete with one another, by way of digital competitions based on physical activity goals. The Artificial Intelligence based app is one of its kind in the Middle East that includes both English and Arabic language support. A health and fitness companion for all employees who accept the challenge, users can also sync the app to any of their fitness trackers of health and wellness apps that they currently use.

Commenting on the challenge, Al Hamed said: "At the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, we are firm believers that prevention is better than cure. It is the ideal ethos to embody, as it enables us to ensure the well-being of the Emirate's residents by delivering easy access to healthcare, whilst also enhancing the overall efficiency and quality and of healthcare services provided in the Emirate."

"Through this innovative challenge, we are employing new technologies to encourage users to adopt a healthy lifestyle and contribute to a healthier society in Abu Dhabi. Our aim is to actively engage with and inspire a spirit of healthy competition amongst challengers." Al Hamed added.

DoH plans to make the app available to all Abu Dhabi Government employees next November. Employees can register to join the challenge via the link: https://doh.gov.ae/invitation.

DoH had previously launched the pilot phase of the "My Health Coach" app for smartphones during its participation at the 2019 edition of the Arab Health Exhibition and Conference, with the aim to provide an interactive digital platform that enables users to access personalized fitness goals and physical activities. The app provides users with bespoke health and fitness recommendations based on the data collected about them.

Since the launch of the app earlier this year, DoH has worked to collect feedback and recommendations from employees in order to further improve the user experience. This has led to new features being been added to the app that allow users to enter personal health data based on clinical tests, providing them with scientifically calculated health advice based on risk factors. The app also guides users to adopt a healthier lifestyle, giving them simple and effective ways to prioritise their health, where they can earn points through the challenges and redeem them for coins to win prizes.

The "My Health Coach" app is the first innovation to come from the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory launched by DoH to further develop ideas and improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare services in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

DoH's participation in GITEX 2019 comes under the umbrella of the Government of Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Government Pavilion includes 32 government and academic entities that showcase innovative digital solutions and technologies committed to enhancing the Government of Abu Dhabi's healthcare sector.

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